


The Curious Case of Charlie Quinn

by ElectricPurple89



Series: Marqueliot Detective Agency [2]
Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Detectives, M/M, Magic Detctives, Multi, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-05-07 19:44:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19216228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricPurple89/pseuds/ElectricPurple89
Summary: "Hey guys." Alice greeted them as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I um didn't know who else to turn to."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea of Marqueliot being magical detectives, so I hope you enjoy.

“It was a cold and stormy night when she walked into the quiet and unassuming office of Quentin M. Coldwater detective extraordinaire. She had an air of mystery surrounding her." Quentin was leaning back in his chair with his feet on the desk speaking into the recorder app on his phone. This is what he did when Eliot and Margo were out. It was just something for him and besides they would probably make fun of him.

 

"What the fuck are you doing Q?!" Margo asked with a sly grin on her face as she and Eliot walked back into the office after coming back from getting the food. She couldn’t help but smile at him her little nerd her Quentin. 

 

Eliot bless him had tried to muffle a laugh with his free hand as he put their lunch on the table. He’d known Quentin still liked to record his thoughts he just didn’t necessarily think he was writing a novel out of them. 

 

It had been a slow morning at the agency. They had plenty of clients, but they’d recently solved a case and there was a little lull. Margo and Eliot had relished the thought of getting out into the fresh air for a moment, so they had offered to walk down to that cafe down the street they all loved to pick up lunch. 

 

Quentin flailed as he nearly fell out of his chair trying to catch his phone that had seemed to slip from his hands as he tried to hit stop. "Um nothing…...its nothing…..I…..I didn't think you would be back so soon." 

 

"Quentin darling, what were you doing while Bambi and I were out?" Eliot queried as he walked over and sat on the corner of Quentin's desk. He reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind Q's ear as he did so. 

 

"Nothing it's just...I've just been writing some stuff is all okay? It’s just something I’ve had in my head I wanted to get down." Quentin replied a little sheepishly. They'd only had a few cases in the last couple of months and it helped to occupy his mind. 

 

"That does not surprise me at all." Margo replied as she took a seat on their couch. “Well come on you’re not going to leave us hanging are you? Tell us a story Q.” she patted the spot next to her and Eliot joined her stretching out and laying his head in her lap. 

 

“You’re not going to make fun of me though right? You really want to hear what I have so far?” Quentin hesitantly asked. They’d been together for six years now, but he still somehow felt that feeling creep in that they were still too cool for him. 

 

“Please tell us your story sweetheart. We promise we won’t laugh unless it’s expected.” Eliot crossed his heart. 

 

“Okay fine I give in.” Quentin acquiesced as he joined them on the couch lifting Eliot’s legs and letting them fall on his lap as he sat down. He loved this. "Alright where was I? Oh yes I remember. Well it was a cold and stormy night…."

  
  
  
  


_ It had been on a whim that they had decided started the agency. Eliot and Margo hadn't really figured out what they wanted to do with their magic after Brakebills, so they decided to stick around for another year and see if Quentin had any ideas.  _

 

_ They'd been together since the night of the infamous threesome they'd had his freshman year. He'd been kind of wanting Eliot for a while and they’d been circling each other for half of the semester. They'd had a party at the cottage one night that first year. Drinks were involved. A LOT of drinks. He'd woken up in Eliot and Margo’s arms.  _

 

_ Margo had done a lost memory spell and they'd seen what had transpired. He'd wanted to run to his room and hide forever because alcohol had caused this. They wouldn't have wanted him if they'd been sober.  _

 

_ The next day at Margo's urging they all talked. He learned Eliot and Margo felt the same way about him that he felt about them. They'd been in a relationship ever since. It was different with just Margo than it was with just Eliot, but he loved them both. After Margo and Fen had broken up she was theirs even more.  _

 

_ He was two weeks away from graduation when he’d figured out what they should do after Brakebills. He’d been reading a detective novel and it dawned on him. They were magicians. They could solve mysteries for real. He could be Jessica Fletcher with two extras. Margo and Eliot couldn’t think of a good reason not to and so they did that. Well actually he figured they were into it because they had always loved a good mystery.  _

 

_ It hadn’t been an easy three years post Brakebills.  The agency took awhile to get off the ground. At first they only had a few clients, but after they found Todd’s dad word spread in the magical community and now they had plenty of solved cases they could point to on their website.  _

  
  
  


He was almost finished telling them his story when she walked in. Alice Quinn. They hadn’t seen her in a couple of months. Not since she came with Penny to the last dinner party they hosted with all their friends. It was a standing tradition every few months all their friends would come for dinner at their place. 

 

Alice Quinn had always been a friend to him and when they needed help for a case he knew he could always count on her when they needed magical texts. She had started working for the library after college, but she’d never been to their office before. She'd been to their apartment sure, but not their office. She was still living with her Aunt Genji at the Retreat in Upstate New York. 

 

Margo eased Eliot’s head off her lap as she got up to greet Alice with a hug. “What’s up Alice? Haven’t seen you since the night of our last soiree. You don’t usually come down here around these parts.” 

 

“Hey Alice.” Quentin greeted her as well. It was nice to see her, but he figured she had an ulterior motive. 

 

Eliot just waved to her from his spot on the couch as she was the cause of his loss of a pillow. 

 

"Hey guys." Alice greeted them as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I um didn't know who else to turn to." 

 

Margo sensing Alice's mood escorted her to the chair and took her place back on the couch. She pushed Eliot to a sitting position. 

 

They all waited for her to begin. Whatever it was they could sense it was hard for her to talk about. 

 

"You guys remember my brother Charlie?" she looked down as the words came out. 

 

"Yeah of course we do. Eliot and Margo were even in school with him for a bit." he replied unsure of what else to say.

 

"Well so I was at work the other day and Poppy came in. You know the girl that was super into Dragons?" Alice looked at them then a pained look in her eyes. "I guess she's been researching them and had come in to talk with another librarian." She took a breath, "anyways when she saw me she was like oh your Charlie's sister. I told her I was and I gave her the memorial information in case she wanted it. I don't really know who all of his Brakebills friends were. When I mentioned that though she had the oddest look on her face. She asked me why?" she paused again and looked at them. "She told me wasn't dead! Like What the fuck?!?! My parents, Fogg, everyone said he was dead!! Who the fuck did we bury?!" Alice had stood up now and was pacing back and forth across the office.

 

They were all stunned. He'd heard about Charlie from Alice when she'd first come to Brakebills. There was a spell to talk to lost loved ones that he'd tried to help her with but it never worked. 

 

"Wait Alice are you saying you think he's alive?" Eliot was off the couch and had a hand on her shoulder. 

 

"I...I don't know. Poppy said she'd seen him in Loria, but that doesn't make any sense. He was never the type to go on the trips to Fillory. He thought they were just an excuse to party." 

 

"I mean he wasn't wrong. It was a great place to go after midterms and let off steam." Margo replied with hint of longing in her voice. 

 

"Yeah I wouldn't know, but what if Poppy is right? What if everyone just assumed he was dead? What if he's alive?" Alice asked with the hope rising in her.

 

"Alice wouldn't they have made sure before declaring his dead? I don't want to smash your hope, but I don't think your parents.." he didn't get to finish his sentence as she cut him off.

 

"My parents have never been parents. It was probably inconvenient to have a missing kid and with a funeral, my mom could play the sympathy up. They never talk about him." Alice interrupted. "Look would it be that hard for you guys just to go to Fillory and check? I'll pay you. I just need to know. Please?" 

 

"This is a big ask Alice. We'd like to help, but is it okay if we take a little time to give you answer?" He really did want to help, but didn't want to make the decision for Margo or Eliot. He was worried about Margo. It had been three years since Fen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Margo, Eliot, and Quentin got to Fillory in search of a Dragon.

Later that night, after Alice had left, they were in their apartment discussing everything. 

"Margo I understand if you don't want to investigate Charlie's disappearance. I mean with Fen and everything" he broached the subject as they were cuddled up in their bed after dinner.

She looked at him, "Q, honey I'm fine. Honestly. Fen and I had something we really did, but we broke up. People do that. She’s busy running her kingdom, and I’m busy being a detective with my boyfriends. Alice needs us and we should help her.” She kissed him on his forehead as she brushed the hair out of his eyes. 

“I know I just wanted to make sure.” and he did. He didn’t like the feeling that she would be uncomfortable.

“Q, I thank you for your concern, but I’m fine.”

“What about you?” He turned to Eliot to see what his response would be. 

“Quentin, dear do you even have to ask? Alice had me at dragons.” Eliot laughed as he ran his fingers through Quentin’s hair. 

“So I guess we’re doing this then? We’re going to find Charlie?” He looked at them both as they nodded. 

“Now get some sleep honey we’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” Eliot mentioned as he kissed Q on the forehead. 

 

 

He awoke cuddled between his two favorite people, and climbed over Eliot to start getting things ready for their trip. 

He turned the coffee on and put the bagels in the toaster as he went about deciding what they might need. 

“Couldn’t sleep in huh?” a voice asked as Eliot wrapped his arms around him and kissed his cheek. 

“Um no not really. Just wanted to make sure we had everything. We can’t always find a portal if we forget something.” He answered as he untangled himself and got the canteens out. 

“Q I love you, but I’m not sleeping in that.” Margo commented as she came out of their bedroom. “That tent is too small for all of us. We can magic up a place or something darlings.” she kissed him on the cheek as well as she grabbed a cup of coffee and took a bagel.

“Margo, I kinda figured which is why this is the magic tent. It’s like the TARDIS.” He was not going to apologize for the smile that saying that brought to his face.

“Nerd.” She called him as she sat at the counter eating her bagel, but he could see through her and knew she loved it. 

 

They finally arrived to the office a few hours after he’d have liked to be there, but he knew after so many years no one could rush perfection. 

The Fillory clock now stood near his desk. Eliot had surprised him with it on his birthday a year after they’d started dating. It was a nice surprise when it turned out to be a portal to Fillory and they didn’t have to rely on Penny all the time. 

“Mmmm I love the smell of Opium in the air.” Eliot remarked as they walked thru the clock into Fillory. 

“We are not stopping by the Flying Forest this time El. This is a job. We’re here to find out what happened to Charlie.” Margo scolded him 

“I said nothing” Eliot held his hands up feigning shock at her accusation.

“Yeah but Quentin and I knew exactly where your mind was going honey.”

He nodded in agreement as he tightened the straps on his pack. 

“So, I think the Dragon’s nest that Poppy was mentioning to Alice is up near the mountains that border Whitespire.” He told them trying to get back on track. 

“Okay, so Dragons and then Loria?” Eliot asked as he put his pack on his back. 

“After you.” He said as he motioned to Margo. 

 

They followed the path that they had trod so many times before. They knew the way to Whitespire like the back of their hands. 

Most of the foliage had grown since the last time they’d been here. He wondered why it wasn’t being kept up, but his thoughts were mostly occupied by what the hell he was going to tell the Dragons. Poppy always had a special way with them when he had known her at Brakebills. 

He’d heard they usually only talked to her, but he was hoping they’d be able to persuade them anyways. 

 

"Are we not going through Whitespire?" Eliot asked them as they turned towards the mountains.

"The Dragon's nest is this way. It's gonna take longer for us to get there if we make chit chat with everyone at the castle." Margo replied as she continued on.

"Okay okay just checking. Q, do you know if Poppy will be there or are we going to have to wing it ourselves?" Eliot asked him.

"I think wing it? Last I heard Poppy was teaching at Brakebills. She hasn't been to the nest in a while." He'd texted her but hadn't heard back yet even with the magic amplifying his cell service.

"hmmm" He heard Eliot comment behind him.

 

They trudged up the side of The Nameless Mountains towards the place where the Dragons lived. The path upward wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. 

Finally they made it to the nest.

 

Galdora was perched on a cropping looking suspiciously at them as they approached.

"What do you want Children of Earth?" she snapped as they got closer.

"We're friends of Poppy's." 

The dragon turned her eyes on Quentin as he said those words.

"She's never mentioned friends."

Margo spoke then, "Okay, so not friends but old classmates and a friend of ours ran into recently. Poppy mentioned you've heard of a boy we're looking for, Charlie Quinn."

"Oh him. The prisoner of Loria? Yeah we've seen him. Poppy told us his name." Galdora said it like it was nothing out of the ordinary. 

“You gonna tell us where he is now?” Margo asked her.

“No, I don’t think so. It’s too close to my napping hours. It’s not that far though. Good luck children of Earth."

"Good luck? That's all you're going to tell us?"

"Bambi, darling let's leave the nice dragon alone. She told us they saw Charlie in Loria, so we'll go there." Eliot calmed Margo as they started the walk down. 

"She's seriously not going to give us anymore information?" Margo huffed.

"It's fine. We'll camp on the outskirts of Whitespire and then make our way to Loria tomorrow." He tried to make that sound firm.

"You love this don't you Q? A real adventure and mystery? Too many not so exciting cases?" Eliot teased.

"Aww Quentin you do love it. The little boy scout in you." Margo added.

"Okay, so maybe I do enjoy a real adventure with my two favorite people in the world, but I also enjoy helping a friend. Now, can we just get to the spot and set the tent up. 

Margo and Eliot smiled as they nodded affirmatively. 

 

They finally reached the small clearing he had chosen for their campsite. It was one of his favorite spots in all of fillory. There was a cottage nearby with the mosaic from the novels and a beautiful little stream. 

Margo tutted the spell to set their tent up along with adding a few touches of her own. 

Eliot spelled a bottle of wine, roasted pork for dinner and a fire.

“You two can never just do simple can you?” He teased them. 

“Come on Q, you know you love it. Besides, you can’t even catch a fish.”

“Margo, I can catch a fish, I just choose not to. You’re right though, I do love it.”

“Good, then you can tell us one of your stories as we sit around the fire.” Eliot smirked. 

“Okay fine.” He begrudgingly replied as he sat down.


End file.
